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- An organic architecture -


- An organic architecture -
Photo Information
Copyright: Eric LE PARC (eleparc) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2494 W: 86 N: 2107] (24014)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-04-24
Categories: Architecture
Camera: Nikon D70, Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 DX VR
Exposure: f/10.0, 1/60 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2007-06-29 4:10
Viewed: 1409
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
AN ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE

The traditional Kassena housing system features a semi burried group of cabins made in banco(mixture of mud, water and cow dung), with a flat roof or a thatched roof.

The mural paintings and geometrical drawings made by women according to tradition are another particularity of the whole Kassena country.

This housing system is a real organic architectural set, evolving with family expansions or reductions.

The construction of the cabins starts a few months after the rainy season. It mostly rely on the banco technique, which is also used for the wall roughcast. Nowadays, this technique is often replaced by the use of raw mud moulded bricks.

The Kassena compound consists of three cabin types:

* THE ROUNDED SHAPED CABINS
"Draa" (in kassena language) with a thatched cone-shaped roof are reserved for single men.

* THE RECTANGULAR CABINS
"mangolo" are reserved for young couples. The young woman comes to live with her husband's family.

* THE 8-SHAPED CABINS
"Dinian" are reserved for older people and younger kids. They usually consist of three rooms : a kitchen, a bedroom and a reception room. 8-shaped cabins are the primary Kassena houses. These "motherly" houses host the spirit of the ancesters. This is why older people, considered the most initiated, live in these houses. Particularly, the grand mother plays a key role in the education of her grand children to the Kassena ancestral traditions and customs.

The b&w version is posted in workshop. More to come tomorrow on the kassena Architecture. Please refer to my two previous shots: Gurunis housing and Ground fortress
faubry, brevbrev14, michiels has marked this note useful
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To michiels: i wonder if ...eleparc 2 06-29 10:56
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Eric,
Another fine example of the amazing Sahelian architecture.
Gert

  • Great 
  • faubry Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3535 W: 353 N: 4237] (27503)
  • [2007-06-29 4:49]

hello Eric, c est tres interessant cette architecture , maisons construites par les femmes, les tons de terre,tu as cadre en diagonale et l enfant apporte un plus, une tres belle photo
bises
francine

une maison bien sympathique malgré sa modestie.on y es toujours bien reçu!

hello Eric,

I should go there, really so nice !!! ;)
i wonder if they have to rebuild it after a monsoonrain... and also paint it back .
very nice serie !
greetings, inn

ciao Eric, interessantissima questa immagine per me che sono appassionata di architettura!
bellissimi i toni caldi della terra e mi paice molto anche il BN del WS...
la bambina è una buona aggiunta per mostrare la bellezza del posto..MOlto interessante anche la tua nota!
bravo!
ciao!
Valeria

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